Senior Justin Highlander was named the Outstanding Senior for the Interior Design department.

At the end of the academic year, a graduating senior from each major is named the Outstanding Senior for that department. Today in part seven of our 10-part series, we interviewed senior Justin Highlander (CCAD 2011), who was named Outstanding Senior for the Interior Design department.

Q.) When did you realize that this is, without a doubt, what you want to do?
A.) Sophomore year. Our final project had to be entirely hand-drafted, and I was at the point where I re-hand-drafted my floor plan about fifteen times—and it took a couple hours each time. So I was at the point where I really started questioning if this was really what I wanted to do and if this was the industry I wanted to be in. Am I really going to have to do this fifteen times just to get it right?

But it now serves as a sort of traumatic experience that has gone well. This is how it works. This is how it is done right. You can’t just turn anything in, you can’t turn in junk work. It is real work that goes to a real client. And that’s what makes it so exciting.

Q.) Do you have a job lined up for after graduation?
A.) Not right now, but I’m looking to get into the commercial and retail industries. I’ve applied to about 15 places, and I’m looking for contacts. I’m willing to go anywhere that the opportunity presents itself—basically whoever wants to hire me, and if it’s a good place, and a good company, I’m game.

I did my first internship through Career Services, and they helped me with my first portfolio as a junior and my resume and interviewing skills. It is a great department at the school, and I hold a huge respect for those who work there.

Q.) What’s your sales pitch? Why should someone hire you?
A.) I always tell people about everything I’ve self-taught myself. I’m pushing my knowledge, sort of as, ‘if there is something new that you guys don’t know how to use, I’ll learn it, I’ll teach myself.’I think it’s very important to learn something new, so every semester I taught myself something new (outside of the curriculum) to help push my projects. I realized early on that this is what the industry wants and what the industry needs. It helped my projects and it helped me as a person, but it’s also helping me to apply for jobs, saying that I do know how to use these programs that others may not know how to use.

Q.) What’s the dream job?
A.) The dream job is working for one of those companies that gets a new client every three months, so you can do the ultimate design for every new project that you do. I would reference Chute Gerdeman as the dream job. I mean, M&M World! Plus, as a CCAD student, I’ve gotten to work with them, to go to their offices, to meet some of our alums who work there.

Q.) What word always reminds you of CCAD?
A.) Crane. Crane reminds me of CCAD. When I come to CCAD on the weekends, I come to Crane. When I go to classes, I come to Crane. I mean, I basically live in Crane, so of course it will always remind me of this place. Someday, I’ll see a crane and be like, ‘oh, yep, CCAD.’

Q.) Can you describe what graduating feels like in one word?
A. Ecstatic. Finally done. That’s two though. Some more? Congrats. Hooray.
Q.) If you could give yourself a do-over, what would it be?
A.)Leave myself a note sophomore year that said, ‘Push yourself farther. Do more.’ I learned my lesson after two years that I can accomplish so much if I continue to push myself, but I wish I would have learned that sooner.

In honor of the 233 students who will receive diplomas at CCAD’s 132nd annual spring commencement, we’ll be counting down the days to commencement by publishing interviews with our 10 Outstanding Seniors and we’ll be announcing the class valedictorian(s).

And while we don’t know who is at the top of the class just yet (final grades are yet to be submitted), we do know who has been named the outstanding seniors for 2011. They are: Jordan Edwards, Advertising & Graphic Design; Chelsea Mummert, Animation; Carolyn Martin, Fashion Design; Kenneth Aschliman, Fine Arts; Graham Erwin, Illustration; Phong Nguyen, Illustration; Ryan Slicer, Industrial Design; Justin Highlander, Interior Design; Taehee Lee, Media Studies; and Sean Blanton, Photography.

Also coming along for the commencement ride is alumnus Mike Altman (CCAD 2000), who will deliver the commencement address. Altman worked as a technical director in modeling and articulation on Pixar’s Academy Award winning Toy Story 3 and was also responsible for modeling and articulating all the 3D characters for Day & Night, the short at the beginning of the film,which was also nominated for an Academy Award. Learn more in our blog, Alumnus, Pixar Animator Slated to Deliver Commencement Address.

Check back Monday, May 2 as we introduce you to Illustration senior Graham Erwin. We’ll publish one a day (on school days) through Friday, May 13.

There was ample evidence at Directions, CCAD’s annual career fair, to indicate that more than 160 soon-to-be graduates are eager and prepared to enter the workforce.

Armed with faculty-juried portfolios, polished résumés, branded business cards, ready smiles, positive attitudes and a few cases of nervousness, the seniors and some December graduates networked with nearly 200 employer representatives in the Canzani Center.

Cynthia Gravino, director of Career Services, said several factors indicate that the job market looks good for creative individuals. Her office currently is receiving more full-time job descriptions than it has in the recent past and salary ranges, in some cases, are $10,000 to $15,000 higher.

Kristen Macauley was the sole Fine Arts senior participating in Directions. Her burgeoning love for design compelled her to register for the annual career fair.

“It’s exciting to see interest in my work. I expected to be ignored but it has been very rewarding to describe my work and jewelry designs.” Macauley is heading to New York City after graduation for a three-month paid position with The Jones Group. During the career fair the Idea Foundry approached her about conducting jewelry workshops in Columbus.

Justin Highlander, a senior in Interior Design who is an intern at Asset Strategies Group, LLC, confessed to being a bit nervous but said his goals for Directions include getting his name circulating among potential employers and creating an impression that helps retail design and commercial design firms to remember him.

“Directions is helping me understand what companies expect from an entry-level designer,” said Highlander, who is willing to relocate and is looking at opportunities in Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. He said preparing for Directions taught him how to memorably brand himself, how to explain his work and to convey his personality. “I feel prepared for any interview in the future,” Highlander said.

Several CCAD alumni were among the employer representatives networking at Directions. Tom Studer (CCAD 1993-97), digital strategy director at LPK in Cincinnati, said he loves the diversity of projects at the event. “This is an opportunity to create interest in LPK. A job opportunity might be a year from now but it’s still important to make a memorable connection today,” he said.

Studer’s co-worker, Steve Bowling, a talent acquisition specialist at the global design agency, said he participates in Directions because he respects the talent. Bowling and Studer, who studied Fine Arts at CCAD, are especially interested in students who can cohesively story-tell across multimedia.

Interbrand’s representatives teamed up to review all the available portfolios. Jamey Wagner, creative director, and junior designers Katie Carter, Susan Burke (CCAD 2010) and Jen Rossignol (CCAD 2009), summed up their impressions by describing the students as eager, the vibe as good, and the work as strong. Both Burke and Rossignol studied Advertising & Graphic Design at CCAD.

Jennifer Chema, who describes herself as a research designer, talked to seven companies at Directions. Participating was a “no brainer,” she said. “I want to learn about people’s mindsets and to network. You learn more from interacting with people than from a website.”

One project featured in Chema’s portfolio, completed as a senior capstone project in CCAD’s Honors Program, included a redesigned federal income tax form. Jim Lutz (CCAD 1978), an instructor in Visual Communications who majored in Advertising & Graphic Design, served as her project mentor as she researched the history of the form, its current design, gathered feedback and tested new designs.

The Advertising & Graphic Design senior said her future design work will involve “turning something negative into something positive.” Her portfolio reveals just such plans for nuclear power plants.